Double comb beat up mechanism



Dec. 14, 1954 F; s. MELOGRANA 2,696,343

DOUBLE COMB BEAT UP MECHANISM Filed March 8, 1952 I 3 Sheets-Sheet l -12 17 16 7 a8 42 :35 14 J9 57 /43 35 49 J3 $1 7 i2 5 J0 J1 I IN VEN TOR. fian fflzlo rand Dec. 14, 1954 s MELOGRANA 2,696,843

DOUBLE COMB BEAT UP MECHANISM Filed March 8, 1952 3- -Sheets-Sheet 2 "fii 47 J5 48 49 4 H 4 i v 3 a INVENTORI Dec. 14, 1954 F. .s. MELOGRANA DOUBLE COMB BEAT UP MECHANISM :s sheets-sheet 3 Filed March a," 1952 @Zya www

INVENTOR. W4 71d United States Patent DOUBLE COMB BEAT UP MECHANISM Frank S. Melograna, Ambler, Pa.

Application March 8, 1952, Serial No. 275,596

7 Claims. (Cl. 139-188) This invention relates to improvements in looms for a weaving fabric and refers particularly to a loom having a comb so devised and positioned relative to the associated components of the loom as to impart numerous advantages to the loom both as to speed and efficiency of operation and reliability of operation, and as to the range of materials upon which the loom may operate.

One of the advantages of the present invention resides in the provision of a comb mounted on the front vertical surface of the batten whereby the shuttle moves transversely through the shed behind the comb. By this arrangement, for a predetermined angle of the shed a bobbin of larger capacity than could be employed in looms heretofore proposed may be used which permits the loom to operate for longer intervals of time or at higher speed than has heretofore been possible without the necessity of refilling the shuttle with a new quill.

Another important feature of the invention resides in the use of a relatively short stroke of the batten, thereby making practical higher loom speeds than heretofore feasible.

A further advantage of the invention incident to the short stroke of the batten resides in the adaptability of the loom comprising my invention of operating upon such fragile materials as relatively light weight asbestos or glass yarns or reinforced yarns, the jacket or outer cover of which has a tendency to cleave from the supporting core due to the rubbing action of a conventional reed.

Another important feature of the present invention resides in a comb construction wherein the necessary tension on the filling yarn, required to draw it off the quill, is borne by the comb rather than by the selvage of the take as in conventional loom operation. This enables the filling to be laid in the warp with the desired minimum degree of tension on the selvage warp yarns.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and following detailed description.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective diagrammatic view of the improved device.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed view showing in full and broken lines the extreme positions of the batten.

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are diagrammatic illustrations of successive positions of the batten and comb during one cycle of operation.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of parts of a conventional loom corresponding generally to the parts of my improved loom shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 indicates diagrammatically a loom embodying the concepts of my invention. The loom 1 comprises a suitable frame (not shown) for carrying the various components illustrated. Of course, the loom 1 may comprise a single weaving unit or as many units as desired, all similar, may be disposed side by side on the loom frame and may all operate simultaneously.

Of the component parts of the weaving unit, a batten 2 is employed which extends throughout the entire length of the loom. The batten 2 is supported upon a plurality of spaced supporting arms or lay-swords 3, only one of which is shown in Fig. 1. A shaft 4 is positioned beneath the batten 2 and the standards, at their lower ends are pivotally mounted upon the shaft, as at 5 in Fig. 1. Accordingly, the batten 2 is mounted for forward and backward oscillation about shaft 4.

A shaft 6 at one end is driven from a suitable prime 2,696,843 Patented Dec. 14, 1954 ice mover (not shown) said shaft being keyed to an eccentric 7. A connecting rod 8, at its rear end forms a bearing 9 for eccentric 7, said connecting rod at its opposite end being pivotally connected, as at 10 in Fig. l, to the rear portion of the lay-swords 3. Of course, if the loom 1 comprises a plurality of weaving units, a plurality of eccentrics and connecting rods will be employed, being disposed in spaced relationship along the lengths of shaft 6 and batten 2.

The arrangement is such that when shaft 6 is rotated,

batten 2 will be rocked about shaft 4, the major movement of the batten being horizontal rearwardly and forwardly. However, as will be hereinafter described the special relationship of the shaft 4 and batten 2 is such that a relatively small vertical component of movement is simultaneously imparted to the batten 2, that is, the batten moves along an are from a rearward substantially vertical dead center position about shaft 4, as shown best in full lines in Fig. 2, to a forward lowered limiting position, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 2.

A bevel gear 11 is carried upon shaft 6 which meshes with a companion gear 12 carried upon shaft 13. A similar gear 14 is carried at the upper portion of shaft 13 which in turn meshes with gear 15 carried upon a cam shaft 16. A pair of earns 17 and 18 are carried upon cam shaft 16, said cams being adapted to respectively drive followers 19 and 20 carried by jacks 21 and 22, which latter are pivotally carried upon a supporting shaft 23. Two pairs of pulleys 24 and 25 are positioned above and slightly behind the batten 2 and actuating cables 26 and 27, respectively connected to jacks 21 and 22 are trained around pulleys 24 and 25, respectively. A harness frame 28 is suspended for vertical movement by cords 29 which are connected to cable 26, and a harness frame 30 is similarly suspended by cords 31 which are connected to cable 27.

The arrangement is such that rotation of cams 17 and 18 impart a contrary rocking motion to jacks 21 and 22 respectively whereby frames 28 and 30 are vertically reciprocated in opposite directions, all in timed relationship to the arcuate movement of the batten 2. The jacks 21 and 22 are provided with a plurality of notches 32 whereby the ends of cables 26 and 27 may be engaged with a desired notch on each jack to control the vertical throw of the frames 28 and 30.

Each of the frames 28 and 30 carry heddles 33 and 34 through the eyes of which yarns 35 are threaded to form sheds 36 and 37, shed 36 being controlled by frame 28 and shed 37 being controlled by frame 30. The yarns 35, of course, are drawn from beams (not shown) carried upon the frame of the machine.

A pair of shuttle guides 38 are positioned upon the batten, said guides being spaced to permit the passage of the sheds 36 and 37. A conventional shuttle 39 is carried by guides 38 for movement transversely across the sheds 36 and 37, a rack 40 being longitudinally movable in batten 2 beneath guides 38 engageable with pinions 41 carried by guides 38, which, in turn, engage with a rack carried by the shuttle to throw the shuttle backwardly and forwardly transversely to the sheds in the conventional manner. Rack 40 is reciprocated in timed relationship to the movement of the batten and the movement of the heddles to raise and lower the rear ends of the sheds.

As a feature of my invention a comb assembly 42 is 4 positioned between the path of the shuttle 39 and the fell of the fabric 43. The comb assembly 4-2 is preferably carried by the batten, but if desired may be senarately mounted upon a support which may be driven so as to move in the manner similar to the herein described movement of the batten. If, however, the comb assembly 42 is carried by the batten a support 44 is secured to the front vertical portion of the batten, said support carrying the lower comb component 45. The support also carries a frame member 46, a part of which is broken away in Fig. 1, said frame member carrying the upper comb component 47. Each comb component comprises a plurality of blade-like members disposed in spaced relationship to each other, the blade-like members of the upper comb component being in alignment with corresponding blade-like members in the lower 3 comb component. The lower comb component 45 is positioned forwardly of the upper comb component and as can be readily seen in Fig. 2 the adjacent ends of the comb components are separated by a space 48.

In the operation of the loom the yarns comprising the sheds 36 and 37 are disposed in the spaces or dents be tween the blade-like members comprising the comb components 45 and 47. In the form of the invention illustrated a tape 49 is being woven, and as the weaving proceeds, as will be hereinafter more fully described, the tape is positioned over a guide bar 50 and then trained around take up roll 51 and press roll 52, mounted upon shafts 53 and 54, respectively, and eventually the tape is deposited in a suitable receptacle 55. The shafts 53 and 54 are driven at a relatively slow speed but in timed relationship with the other movements of the loom hereinbefore described whereby as the weaving proceeds a desired degree of tension is maintained upon the sheds and the yarns 35 are drawn at a controlled rate from the beams.

It can readily be seen that my invention is characterized by the comb assembly 42 consisting of components 45 and 47 and the position of the other components of the loom such as the shuttle, heddles, etc. relative to the comb, and the position of the fell t3 relative to the comb. To exemplify the advantages of my invention a complete cycle of operation will be described.

After the yarns 35 have been threaded in the heddles 33 and 34 and the sheds are positioned in the comb components and brought to the line of juncture at the fell, the weaving operation proceeds cyclically, a complete cycle comprising movement of the shuttle 39 from a predetermined position forwardly and backwardly to the initial position transversely to the direction of the warp. In accomplishing this cycle two strands of the filler are laid in the warp, the filler being formed from yarn 56 drawn from a bobbin 57 carried by the shuttle 39. A guide tube 53 carried by the forward endportion of the shuttle functions as a discharge for the yarn 56 drawn from the bobbin.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 6 the cycle of operation hereinbefore referred to can be followed. It will be noted in Fig. 3 that the batten is in its most upright position, that is, the position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 2. In this position the shuttle 39 will be at about its center position between the sheds. For the sake of description the bobbin will be considered as being at its center position as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3. It will also be noted that in this position both comb components 45 and 47 are in engagement with both sheds and the filler yarn 56 will extend in a substantially straight line from the fell 43 to the endmost lower comb cornponent 45.

In Fig. 4, the shuttle 39 has moved on its guides 38 through the sheds and has just moved to the opposite of said sheds. The batten has moved forwardly about shaft 4, and the upper comb component is engaging the lower shed which is still engaged with the lower comb component 45. The filler yarn 56 is still engaged with the endmost blade-like member of the lower comb component and thereby the brunt of the tension occasioned by drawing the filler yarn from the bobbin 57 is borne not at the fell of the fabric and to the selvage of the fabric but by the endmost blade of the lower comb component. This is an important aspect of my invention since it permits the laying of the filler in the warp with a minimum of tension on the selvage warp yarns. In prior devices heretofore proposed the tension caused by drawing the filler from the bobbin is sustained substantially entirely by the selvage of the tape 49 at the fell.

In Fig. 5 it will be noted that the heddles have moved the sheds toward each other and the batten has moved further forwardly and downwardly and by virtue of both motions the filler yarn hooked by the endrnost blade of the lower comb component is carried relatively to the top of said blade and is about to be released into the space 48. In this position the lower comb component 45 is disengaging the lower shed while the warp yarns are maintained in their proper dents by the unper comb component 4-7 which was previously engaged with the warp comprising the lower shed. As another important feature of the invention, at all times during each cycle the sheds 36 and 37 are in engagement with one or both of the comb components.

In Fig. 6 the batten 2 has moved to its extreme forward position and the heddles are about to reverse the position of the sheds. The lower comb component 45 has completely disengaged itself from the sheds, and the upper comb component moves into the fell 43 whereby the filler previously laid in the warp is beaten up by virtue of the forward movement of the batten.

Following the position of the parts shown in Fig. 6, the batten moves back to its vertical position, that is, the position shown in Fig. 3, and in doing so the upper comb component 47 retains its engaged position with the sheds and while the warp yarns are maintained in proper spaced relationship, the lower comb component moves into engagement with the sheds, as shown in Fig. 3. Thereafter the next half cycle is complete wherein the shuttle moves from left to right, as viewed in l, with the heddles reversed, the movement of the pa s being the same as hereinbefore described in the first half cycle.

Several of the advantages of the present invention can best be described and emphasized by a comparison with a similar cyclic operation of a conventional loom. Referring particularly to Fig. 7, a. diagrammatic view of a portion of a conventional loom is shown. In the conventional loom, 59 indicates a batten which is adapted to be swung or rocked forwardly and backwardly in a fashion similar to the movement of the batten 2. However, by virtue of the operating characteristics of the conventional loom it will be seen that the movement of the batten 59 is far in excess of the movement of the batten 2. Shuttle guides 60 and 61 are carried by the batten and are substantially identical with the guides 33 hereinbefore described, the lower guide 61 carrying a conventional pinion 62 which engages with rack 63 whereby the pinion is rotated when the rack 63 is moved longitudinally. The pinion 62 extends into the path of travel of a shuttle 64 whereby the shuttle is periodically moved through the sheds during the weaving operation.

In the conventional loom illustrated in Fig. 7 a reed 65 is employed, the reed comprising essentially a grating consisting of a plurality of spaced parallel rods through which yarns 66 comprising upper shed 67 and lower shed 68 are passed, the sheds subsequently joining at the fell 69. Heddles 70 and 71 respectively manipulate the sheds 67 and 68 to vertically reverse the position of the sheds during the weaving operation.

The shuttle 64 carries a bobbin 72 from which filler yarn 73 may be drawn.

During the operation of the conventional loom illustrated with the sheds in their maximum diverse angular position the shuttle 64 moves from one of its extreme positions to the opposite extreme position. In so moving the filler yarn 73 is drawn from the spool 72, the tension in the filler yarn occasioned by withdrawal from the spool is sustained by the selvages of the web 74 at the fell 69. In this fashion the filler yarn 73 is laid with an appreciable degree of tension in the warp. Because of this relatively high degree of tension of the filler yarn it is necessary that the yarns 66 in passing through the reed 65 be spaced from each other a considerably greater degree than the spacing of the warp yarns from each other at the fell 69. Further, as opposed to the loom comprising my present invention very little, if any, control can be exercised upon the tension of the filler inasmuch as the tension thereof is substantially constant as it is laid in the warp. After the filler yarn 73 has been laid in the warp and the shuttle 64 has moved to its opposite extreme position at the end of the first half cycle of operation, the batten 54 moves forwardly from the position illustrated in Fig. 7 to a forward position wherein the reed 65 beats up the filler in the warp at the fell 69. In other words, the reed moves from a position substantially adjacent the heddles 7i) and 71 to the fell 69.

As has been hereinbefore described, one of the advantages of my invention is that the loom may be operated at considerably higher speeds than has heretofore been possible. Referring particularly to Figs. 2 to 6 inclusive it can readily be seen that the total movement of the batten from its extreme rearward position to its extreme forward position is relatively short and that the shuttle normally moves behind the comb component 47 which is the member which beats up the filler at the fell. In the conventional loom it can be seen that the member which beats up the filler at the fell is normally positioned to the rear of the path of movement of the shuttle 6 S and that this member, the reed 65, must move from its extreme rearward position all the way to the fell 69. It can readily be seen that the amplitude of oscillation of the batten 2 is considerably less than the amplitude of oscillation of the batten 59 and hence the frequency of movement of the batten 2 can be made proportionately higher than the frequency of movement of the batten 59.

As has been hereinbefore described, the advantageous features of my invention reside in the fact that a much shorter increment of the yarn is exposed to the rubbing in the fact that in addition to increasing the speed of operation of the loom, the size of the bobbin which may be carried by the shuttle 39 is much greater than the size of the bobbin 72 which may be carried by the shuttle 64 for a predetermined maximum shed angle. It is of advantage that the maximum shed angle be as small as possible since a small shed angle reduces the length of travel of the harness frames and consequently a reduction in the traveling of the harness frames is conducive to a higher speed operation. Another reason why it is desirable to maintain the maximum shed angle as small as possible resides in the fact that as the shed angle increases the stress exerted upon the yarns of the sheds, particularly at the fell, increase. Consequently, in view of the fact that in my invention the shuttle moves behind the combs 42, the size of the shuttle and hence the size of the bobbin which may be carried thereby may be made as large as desirable without increasing the shed angle. It can readily be seen that for a predetermined shed angle the only limiting factor controlling the space included between the sheds is the distance between the fell and the heddles. In the prior device illustrated in Fig. 7 it can readily be seen that as the space between the sheds is increased, either the maximum shed angle must be increased or the distance of the reed from the fell must be increased. As has been hereinbefore described, to increase the maximum shed angle is disadvantageous and to increase the distance between the reed 65 and the fell 69 is also disadvantageous since it increases the amplitude of movement of the batten and hence tends to reduce speed and increase yarn chafing.

Accordingly, in my invention not only the speed of operation of the loom is increased by virtue of the small amplitude of oscillation of the batten but the size of the bobbin can be increased at the same time whereby the desirable increase in speed of the machine can be taken full advantage of by increasing the size of the bobbin and hence lengthening the time of operation of the machine before bobbins have to be renewed.

Although my invention has been described as being particularly advantageous in weaving tapes of yarns comprising relatively fine asbestos or glass fibers it can readily be seen that the advantages of my loom are equally available where other types of yarns are employed. In addition, although the invention has been shown and described in conjunction with the weaving of a tape, it is to be understood that other forms of fabric may readily be woven.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a fabric weaving loom having heddles for forming sheds of the warp which join at the fell of the fabric and a rockable batten carrying a shuttle movable between said sheds to lay a filler transversely to the warp comprising the sheds, the improvement comprising comb means carried by said batten and positioned between the 1 path of travel of the shuttle and the fell, said comb means comprising spaced upper and lower comb components between the teeth of which the warp strands comprising the sheds are positioned, means carried by one of said comb components for frictionally engaging the filler carried by said shuttle during transverse movement of the shuttle relative to said sheds to draw a predetermined length of filler from said shuttle, means for rocking said batten to move said comb means toward the fell and means for simultaneously moving said heddles to disengage one shed from said lower comb component and release the filler from said lower comb component, said fell being in the path of travel of said upper comb component whereby said upper comb component beats said released filler in said fell when said batten is rocked toward said fell.

2. In a fabric weaving loom having heddles for forming sheds of the warp which join at the fell of the fabric and a rockable batten carrying a shuttle movable between said sheds to lay a filler transversely to the warp comprising the sheds, the improvement comprising comb means carried by said batten and positioned between the path of travel of the shuttle and the fell, said comb means comprising spaced upper and lower comb components between the teeth of which the warp strands comprising the sheds are positioned, means carried by the lower of said comb components for frictionally engaging the filler carried by said shuttle during transverse movement of the shuttle relative to said sheds to draw a predetermined length of filler from said shuttle, means for moving said heddles to disengage one shed from said lower comb component and disengage the filler from said lower comb component, and means for actuating said batten to move said upper comb component toward said fell to beat the disengaged filler in said fell.

3. In a fabric Weaving loom having heddles for forming sheds of the warp which join at the fell of the fabric and a rockable batten carrying a shuttle movable between said sheds to lay a filler transversely to the warp com prising the sheds, the improvement comprising comb means carried by said batten and positioned between the path of travel of the shuttle and the fell, said comb means comprising spaced upper and lower comb components between the teeth of which the warp strands comprising the sheds are positioned, said lower comb component being ofiset forwardly of said upper comb component and being inclined at its top away from said fell, means carried by the lower of said comb components for frictionaily engaging the filler carried by said shuttle during transverse movement of the shuttle between said sheds to draw a predetermined length of filler from said shuttle, means for rocking said batten to move said comb arcuately in a direction generally toward said fell, means for moving said heddles to disengage one shed from said lower comb component and disengage the filler from said lower comb component, said fell being disposed in the path of travel of said upper comb component whereby said upper comb component beats said filler in said fell when said batten is rocked.

4. In a fabric weaving loom having heddles for forming sheds of the warp which join at the fell of the fabric and a rockable batten carrying a shuttle movable between said sheds to lay a filler transversely to the warp comprising the sheds, the improvement comprising comb means carried by said batten and positioned between the path of travel of the shuttle and the fell, said comb means comprising spaced upper and lower comb components between the teeth of which the warp strands comprising the sheds are positioned, means carried by the lower of said comb components for frictionally engaging the filler carried by said shuttle during transverse movement of the shuttle relative to said sheds, means for moving said heddles to disengage one shed from said lower comb component and substantially simultaneously disengage the filler from said lower comb component, and means for rocking said batten arcuately forwardly and downwardly to move the upper comb component toward said fell to beat said filler in said fell with said upper comb component.

5. In a fabric weaving loom having heddles for forming sheds of the warp which join at the fell of the fabric and a rockable batten carrying a shuttle movable between said sheds to lay a filler transversely to the Warp comprising the sheds, the improvement comprising comb means carried by said batten and positioned between the path of travel of the shuttle and the fell, said comb means comprising separate upper and lower comb components between the teeth of which the warp strands comprising the sheds are positioned, means carried by the lower of said comb components for frictionally engaging the filler carried by said shuttle during transverse movement of the shuttle on said batten between said sheds to draw a predetermined length of filler from said shuttle, means for moving said heddles to disengage one shed from sa1d lower comb component and disengage the filler from said lower comb component, and means for rocking sa1d batten to move said comb in a direction generally toward said fell :to beat said filler in said fell with said upper comb component.

6.. In a fabric weaving loom having heddles for formingsheds of the warp which join at the fell of the fabric and a rockable batten carrying a shuttle movable between said sheds to lay a filler transversely to the warp comprising the sheds, the improvement comprising warp aligning means positioned upon said batten between the path of travel of the shuttle and the fell, said warp aligning means comprising upper and lower spaced comb components between the teeth of which the warp strands comprising the sheds are positioned, means carried by the lower of said comb components for frictionally engaging the filler carried by said shuttle during transverse movement of the shuttle relative to said sheds to draw a predetermined length of filler from said shuttle, means for simultaneously moving said heddles to release the filler from said predetermined comb component and rocking said batten toward said fell to beat up said released filler in said fell with said upper comb component.

7. A loorn comprising heddles for forming sheds of warp which join at the fell of the fabric, a rockable batten, a shuttle carried by said batten and movable between said sheds, a comb carried by said batten and positioned between the path of travel of the shuttle and the fell said comb comprising an upper comb component and a lower comb component between the teeth of which the individual warp strands comprising the sheds are respectively positioned, means carried by the lower of said com-b components for frictionally engaging the filler carried by said shuttle during transverse movement of the shuttle relative to the sheds to draw a predetermined length of filler from said shuttle, means for simultaneously moving said shuttle to release the filler from said lower comb component and rocking said batten toward said filler to beat up said released filler in said fell with said upper comb component.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 759,317 Saurer May 10, 1904 1,067,619 Moriggl July 15, 1913 2,085,455 Sigel June 29, 1937 2,381,028 Bartholomew Aug. 7, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 211,595 Great Britain Feb. 28, 1924 

